


The Story Of An Individual

by Morgan_Kaged



Series: Malia Week [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Genderqueer Character, Misgendering, Non-binary character, Social Dysphoria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 22:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1664924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgan_Kaged/pseuds/Morgan_Kaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malia has never felt like a “girl” since Malia come back from being a coyote. A little research on the internet and plenty of soul searching Malia finally finds a gender that fits them best. For Malia Week (yes I know it’s a two days late) and requested by Argent-Means-Silver from Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Story Of An Individual

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: While the story line was requested by Argent-Means-Silver from Tumblr most of the plot belongs to me. However ‘Teen Wolf’ and its characters belong to Jeff Davis and MTV; I am in no way inflicted or own any rights. This was written in full accordance to the Copyright Act 2005 as to my knowledge and was written for no profit but for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Also this was suppose to be written for Malia Week, but due to personal problems and then internet connections I am a bit late publishing. I hope you all like it anyway and Argent-Means-Silver I am deeply sorry for the wait.

**The Story Of AN Individual**

**By Morgan Kaged**

**Beta: Sage Reynolds**

**Rating: General Audiences**

**Description: Malia has never felt like a “girl” since Malia come back from being a coyote. A little research on the internet and plenty of soul searching Malia finally finds a gender that fits them best. For Malia Week (yes I know it’s a day late) and requested by Argent-Means-Silver from Tumblr.**

**Disclaimer: While the story line was requested by Argent-Means-Silver from Tumblr most of the plot belongs to me. However ‘Teen Wolf’ and its characters belong to Jeff Davis and MTV; I am in no way inflicted or own any rights. This was written in full accordance to the Copyright Act 2005 as to my knowledge and was written for no profit but for entertainment purposes only.**

* * *

When she was born the doctors took one look at her and said she was a girl. They handed her to her parents in a pink blanket and told them congratulations. Then for the first nine years of her life Malia was told these clothes were for her because she was a girl, there was a toilet just for girls, there were activities just for girls and there were toys just for girls. Malia never once questioned the gender norms society tried to force on her, if she ever did something that was not considered a gender norm for a girl she often found herself bullied in school. So she pretended to want to be a princess and a ballerina and play Barbie.

Then Malia found herself as a coyote. Coyotes don’t have gender norms that humans live by or certain roles for boys and girls. In a pack every coyote was responsible for hunting as they were for taking care of younger pups. Coyotes were almost genderless other then who mounted and who carried babies; that was the only function for gender within coyotes. Now she was back in her human form she found she didn’t feel like a girl anyone. She didn’t understand how gender worked and missed the coyote simplicity of it all. She got an uncomfortable feeling when her Dad called her “Princess” and felt sick when she was made to use the girl’s toilets instead of whichever one was closer and annoyed at not being allowed into the boy’s locker room. Malia just wasn’t a girl. Yes she had a vagina and breasts and periods but she still didn’t view herself as a girl. Just as someone who could carry babies one day. But that didn’t mean she had to feel and be a girl.

Malia spent her days uncomfortable and unsure about herself; she tried to be like a girl. She thought if she did “girl stuff” like Lydia and Kira she could feel more and more like a girl. Malia would be normal and the daughter her father wanted her to be. Expect Malia couldn’t care less about the makeup or the clothes, still got a sick feeling when addressed as a girl and missed being able to run though the mud and woods but kept trying to force the gender norms of what a girl was on her. Malia soon got depressed with the act and more and more miserable and wanted nothing more to run away and live in the woods as a coyote again.

“Malia is everything okay?” Derek asked. He looked down at his young cousin who had been sitting on his couch and getting quieter and quieter every time he saw her.

“I’m fine.” Malia replied. Derek sighed; he knew if someone said they were fine they weren’t fine at all. After the fire whenever Laura asked him how he was he would always say he was fine when really he was living in self-hate and bitter anger. Malia was not fine; he just had to hope he could get whatever was on her mind out of her.

“Really?” Derek asked and raised his eyebrow in the true Hale fashion that Peter had taught him back when he was nice.

“Yes really.” Malia lied, she wasn’t even sure where to begin in what she was feeling, how the emotions bottled up inside. Every lie she told left a bitter taste on her tongue but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t even know what was wrong with her. She just didn’t feel comfortable as a girl in her girl body anymore.

“Look I know it’s hard. But you’re a smart girl, you’ll get thought it.” Derek told her assuming it was usual teenage drama like pimples or that teacher was out to get them.

“Maybe that’s just it.” Malia started.

“What’s it?” Derek asked finally getting somewhere.

“Maybe I’m not a girl.” Malia answered and looked up at him.

“Okay. So you’re not a girl.” Derek said.

“That’s it?” Malia asked.

“Did you want me to yell?” Derek asked with a smirk.

“Guess not....I just....I just accepted more than okay. Like I was a freak or something.” Malia told him.

“You’re not a freak.” Derek responded firmly. “Some people just aren’t girls. Do you what gender you are?”

“No....just that I’m not a girl.” Malia replied.

“Okay....well let me know when you figured that out.” Derek said and made a mental note to use gender neutral pronouns from now on until Malia asked him otherwise.

“Thanks Derek.” Malia told him with a smile.

* * *

After that Malia started to do some research online about genders. If Derek had said that not everyone was a girl surely there had to be some people out there like hir. Malia talked on forums, read online books, and looked up the difference between gender norms, gender expression and gender identity. It all made so much more sense to hir now. Forcing hirself to do gender norms for a girl wasn’t going to make her a girl. Ze could still like some things people had decided were for girls and not be a girl. Malia had never been a girl but it had come more apparent as hir had grown older and spent eight years as a coyote. Malia found out there was thousands if not millions of people just like hir who didn’t feel like they were a girl or a boy. Malia researched every single non-binary gender identity over and over again trying to decide which one best suited hir gender.

Malia spent weeks and weeks researching and Derek helped and asking questions now and then if this applied to hir and did this seem comfortable to hir. Derek knew Malia was definitely not a girl and hir was pretty sure they weren’t a boy either but Malia wasn’t sure on which identity hir did feel most comfortable with. Weeks of research Malia finally found an identity which ze felt most comfortable with. Malia decided that ze was neutrois, that ze had a neutral gender identity, that ze as genderless, that ze was either a boy or a girl. Malia also decided ze wanted to lose pronouns all together because they made no sense to hir at all. He was for boys, she was for girls, and there were others if you had a non-binary gender but Malia felt that hir was without a gender.

“Derek I think I know what gender I am.” Malia told him as she entered the loft.

“Yeah?” Derek asked.

“None.” Malia said, “I’m neutrois.”

“Okay. Any pronouns you prefer?” Derek asked wanting to make sure Malia felt as comfortable with hirself as hir could be and that included getting pronouns and titles right.

“Pronouns are for gender. Call me it or my name.” Malia said.

“Okay.” Derek agreed. Based on previous conversations with Malia he was already sure that Malia had at least social dysphoria and had a strong urge to be seen as gender neutral as possible, he couldn’t tell if Malia had physical dysphira though.

“Can you be there when I tell my Dad and the others?” Malia asked.

“Sure.” Derek responded, if Malia was going to turn to him for help he would do his hardest not to let Malia down. He’d already failed everyone in his life in one way or another so maybe at least he can help Malia out.

* * *

Mr. Tate had been confused when Malia had told him it wanted to talk to him and even more confused when he saw Derek sitting on the couch.

“Princess what’s going on?” he asked it.

“Dad....that’s just it. I’m not a princess.” Malia started.

“Okay if you don’t want to be called a princess that’s fine.” He agreed wondering when his child was suddenly getting upset with its childhood nickname.

“It’s a bit more than that. I’m not just a princess; I’m also not a girl.” Malia informed him.

“What?” Mr. Tate asked with a confused look on his face. Malia turned to Derek with a desperate look on its face. Malia had come in with all these things to say and what it wanted its father to know but now everything was drawing at a blank and it was having trouble getting words out of its mouth.

“Neutrois Gender neutral; Malia is still you Malia has no gender.” Derek said simply.

“How can you have no gender?” Mr. Tate asked sceptically.

“Some people are born without a gender Dad; some say they are either male or female, are agender, are genderless or say they are neutrois. Like me.” Malia answered.

“Uh....okay....so what do I call you now?” Mr. Tate asked.

“Malia is okay for now.” Malia said. She had considered getting Malia changed to a name that held no gender meaning but Malia was the name its mother had given it and Malia wasn’t sure it was ready to give that up. Also Malia had read that while more popular for girls it had been used as a boys name in the past.

“Malia also prefers it in place of she.” Derek pointed out.

“It? Like a table lamp?” Mr. Tate asked.

“That’s what I want to use Dad.” Malia said firm in her choice.

“Doesn’t sound very human.” Mr. Tate said.

“Yes it does. I am human and I am an it. Use that or my name.” Malia said a little hurt in his choice of words.

“Alright, alright.” Mr. Tate said. “So you’re not my daughter then?”

“No....just call me your child or your eldest or your oldest.” Malia said. Malia knew it wasn’t ideal but it was a start, slowly and slowly its father would accept it just the way it was.

* * *

Next was telling the pack that Malia was neutrois. Malia paced up and down in Derek’s loft as everyone had arrived, wondering what was going on.

“Malia?” Stiles asked.

“I wanted to talk to you all....about....” Malia started and finding this harder then when talking to its Dad.

“Hey remember I was possessed by a Japanese spirit fox and used to kill people I won’t judge.” Stiles told it and Malia’s face shot out in a smile. That had been the same thing Malia had told Stiles in Eichen House before they talked about everything. Stiles repeating the very same speech was a big help.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I am not a girl, I was just told and raised as a girl.” Malia started.

“So you’re trans?” Scott asked with a soft smile.

“Yes, I am under the trans umbrella. I am neutrois.” Malia informed them all.

“Will you be keeping Malia or are you changing your name?” Lydia asked politely.

“I’m keeping Malia.” Malia replied.

“What pronouns should we use?” Kira asked.

“Just use my name or it.” Malia said a little fearful that it would get the same backlash from its father that it would from its friends.

“Okay.” Scott answered.

“How do you feel about titles?” Kira asked. She’d never addressed any friend by them but if she could help Malia be seen and associated by whatever titles made it feel more comfortable then she would do all she could to help.

“I don’t really like them. I don’t want to use Miss and there’s no gender neutral titles out there I like.” Malia told them.

“What about things like toilets?” Stiles asked but of course Stiles would be the one to ask about that Malia thought.

“I think I’ll just keep using whichever is closer.” Malia said.

“Well if anyone gives you trouble, find me.” Scott told it. Scott refused to see his friend and a member of his pack be given a hard time over something like their gender. He’d already had serious words with members of the lacrosse team sexualizing Kira and Lydia and he would not allow Malia to be misgendered or made to feel uncomfortable about its gender.

“Thanks Scott.” Malia said with a happy overly happy and filled with joy that its friends were standing behind it and filled with joy. All Malia’s fears had been washed away. Derek smiled a small approving smile from where he was on the stairs, pleased that everyone had taken so openly to Malia’s gender identity without any ignorance. He may have grown to care for all and they were his cousin’s friends but if any of them had something to upset Malia he would have been tossing teenagers into walls again. At least for now Malia was happy and surrounded by people who accepted it, school was going to be another story all together.

**Author's Note:**

> My Twitter: @MorganKaged  
> My Tumblr: hereliesmorgankaged  
> My Website: morgankaged.weebly.com
> 
> Sage's Twitter: @WerekittySage  
> Sage's Tumblr: werekittysage


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